When Bad Astrology Happens to Good People

How to make cosmic lemonade when life hands you lemons

Difficult transits can trigger life events that are so overwhelming that they can bring us to our knees. But I'm here to tell you that despite crummy astrological cycles ... there's a silver lining. It's call soul growth. Challenging Astrology tends to hurt most when we lose sight of our higher self. Remember that. Right now I need to remember it!

If you've been keeping up with the astrological news on this website you've undoubtedly read by now about the intense series of Uranus-Pluto squares that are ripping through our lives promising radical, profound change. And for even more insight on what the upcoming Uranus-Pluto squares will bring you, try running a Big Picture Yearly Forecast.

Many of you are lucky enough to not have a Cardinal personal planet near the degrees the Uranus-Pluto square will travel. For you, this Uranus-Pluto square will most likely be experienced collectively more than personally. But for those of you, like myself, who have several planets or angles in Cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn) well ... I would like to offer my condolences. Life will electrocute you; killing off whatever is no longer needed, assuring a grand personal revolution.

Unfortunately, it might hurt like heck to get from point A to point B in your life because we silly humans tend to hold on tightest to what our soul no longer needs.

I didn't exactly sugar coat that one, did I? Sorry ... cotton candy Astrology is not my style. Especially while Uranus and Pluto are up my Mars (in my 3rd House of Communication).

Trouble on the homefront

That's right, these days the Uranus-Pluto square is activating my natal Mars which is at 11 degrees Cancer. That means that transiting Uranus is square my natal Mars, while at the same time transiting Pluto is opposite my Mars. If you know just enough about Astrology to be dangerous then you might recognize Mars, Uranus and Pluto as an especially difficult combination of energies.

Well, let me tell you ... that's an understatement.

With Mars being extremely close to my 4th House of Home and Family, it's actually considered to be active in both my 3rd and 4th House. If you have a planet within 5 degrees of the next house in your chart then please familiarize yourself with this energy potential. Read the planets for both the house it is in and the house next to it ... you will resonate with both!

I have always resonated strongly with Mars being in both my 3rd and 4th Houses. Mars is also in the family oriented sign Cancer making this even more pronounced.

While I don't have a natal aspect between Mars and Uranus in my birth chart, I do have a natal aspect between Mars and Pluto in my birth chart. Mars squares Pluto in my 6th House of Work and Health.

If you experience a transit in the sky that mimics a natal aspect in your chart, then that transit will always be more potent for you. Knowing this, I anticipated that the transit of Pluto opposite Mars may carry more tension than the transit of Uranus square Mars.

No escape

But of course, these are both major transits and I know I won't escape the developmental tension that's triggered by either one. Pluto opposite Mars is supposed to help me balance my own sense of empowerment through a series of power struggles with others and also by dealing with situations out of my personal control.

Uranus square Mars is meant to teach me about patience and not being reckless. This transit is one that in classic Astrology books you'll read is "an accident waiting to happen." This is because ones physical energy is easily misdirected during this time in fits of nervous, excitable and sudden actions. Learning to control impulsive, willful behavior will help me make extraordinary progress now.

Applying these transits astrologically to where Mars is placed, we can surmise that my area of major problems will have to do with my home or family. Mars in Cancer in the 4th House.

You have no idea...

My home over the last couple of weeks has turned into a disaster area thanks to the after effects of Hurricane Sandy. I thought all of that drama was behind me but not a chance. Apparently, it was just discovered my backyard is an electrocution hazard due to all sorts of wiring issues post-Sandy. My electric bill had been double each month since I moved back home and I kept fighting with my energy supplier about the situation. Finally, they sent an inspector over and as soon as they did they determined that my yard was hazardous. My children could have been electrocuted at any time simply by playing back there! My son, who operates his car wash business out of my driveway, uses the hose connected near some of the major malfunctioning wiring. Basically, if he had on flip flops or was barefoot and his wet feet touched a wire, he would have been significantly electrocuted.

In fact, just today someone working at my next door neighbor's home WAS electrocuted due to an issue they're also having! Uranus rules electricity. Uranus square Mars in the 3rd House of Neighbors and Mars in my 4th of Home and Family.

So that's one example of how the Uranus-Mars transit has come to life. There's a slew of other unexpected (Uranus) and sudden (Uranus) home repairs that I'm in the middle of as well. It's an exhausting reminder that on a soul level, I'm supposed to let go of this home which is toxic emotionally to me for so many reasons. I'm supposed to leave.

My silly human self is still resisting this though because she insists that the time and financial situation is not right yet. And of course that only makes the transit hurt more.

Even closer to home

Now let me give you an example of the Pluto-Mars transit. Remember I mentioned that I have this natal aspect in my chart as square? Mars is the ruler of my chart because I have Aries rising. As the ruler of my chart my physical body and identity may be affected by a transit to Mars Pluto is natally in my 6th House of Health. Mars is in Cancer and Cancer rules the breasts.

Wouldn't you know it that on the very day Angelina Jolie announced that she had an elective double mastectomy I was driving to a breast surgeon preparing to have two biopsies performed on my right breast to test two separate masses?

I've been worried sick that between the eclipse to my Sun on May 9 and this Pluto-Mars transit happening that I would experience a serious health issue, possibly leading to surgery.

Well it turns out that I was right. There is a health issue but, thankfully, it's not life threatening. I'll get to that in a minute.

I had the double biopsy performed on a day when the Moon was in Cancer. That was a mistake because as an astrologer I knew better. I knew when I was making the appointment that there was a chance the procedure would lead to difficulty because one of the most basic medical Astrology rules is to NEVER, EVER operate on a body part on a day when the Moon is in the sign ruling that body part. Cancer rules the breasts.

Here I was, making the appointment anyway because I am so overscheduled in my life that it was the only time I could do it. Not my smartest move...

In fact, my sore boob and I paid the price. They said the procedure would be uncomfortable but it turns out that was putting it mildly. I could barely drive myself home after the procedure (and I consider myself someone who tolerates pain well). I experienced significant swelling and bruising that lasted almost a full week. To be fair, the nurse explained that since I got two biopsies the recovery time would have been more extensive. But still -- I never should have scheduled it with the Moon in Cancer!

Light at the end of the tunnel

Anyway, the good news is that I don't have breast cancer. I do have a benign tumor called Fibroadenoma. The other mass was identified as Intraductal Papilloma which now requires an excisional biopsy -- the kind you're put under anesthesia in the hospital for -- to conclude whether or not there are malignant cells. This type of biopsy is more invasive and serious but my Astrology strongly suggests that it is necessary.

Funny how these transits are forcing me to deal with the house my body lives in both physically and spiritually, isn't it? Maybe living in this house is literally making my physical body sick, but I do feel there's a connection.

When bad Astrology happens to good people there's only one thing to do. Listen to your soul. Astrology isn't meant to be evil ... it's meant to be helpful and call our attention to ways we can direct our free will to maximize personal happiness and empowerment. If it feels bad that's because our psyche is sore from the stress of impending change. Thankfully, we heal from challenging transits. And invariably, our soul becomes even stronger.